For once, Don Cherry wasn't the centre of attention. Instead, it was his longtime partner, Ron MacLean.

MacLean, a CBC employee for nearly 30 years, told a national audience the NHL should not have assigned a French-Canadian referee for Game 4 of the Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning series.

"Why would you put yourself in that position?" said MacLean, referring to the potential for biased officiating. "I thought it was a risky assignment."

MacLean's thought process sprung from a coach's complaint earlier in the series. Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper had expressed his displeasure with a Game 3 call made by a French-Canadian referee on Sunday.

Immediately following MacLean's mini rant, social media sounded off on his uncharacteristic remarks:

One of MacLean's HNIC colleagues, Elliotte Friedman, argued back, saying an official's background has no bearing on his ability to do his job correctly.

"I just think to label all of the referees that way is really unfair," Friedman said.

Later in the broadcast, MacLean apologized to viewers, stating he "didn't intend to go down that (culturally sensitive) path."

"First of all, I want to say I'm sorry," the Coach's Corner host said. "It's divisive any time you (make it) about French and English in our country."

MacLean added he believes the local referee issue is not exclusive to Quebec.

"I wouldn't have sent an Alberta ref into an Alberta game had an Alberta official been involved in a tough Game 3. I should have said any referee from the area," he said.